Nikon D810 or Sony A7 dilemma

I'm transitioning from photography to cinematography for weddings. D800 (probably the D810)/D750 were not good enough for my taste for low light. the D4 was amazing but oh so soft in video mode. I also tried the 24-120 and did not like that lens. too distorted and not sharp enough.
I have recently sold my D800 and D4, returned the D750 and have a sony A7sII on order.

while it would be easier to stick with a system i've been familiar with for 10 years, the quality and detail in low light does not compare. Down sides is Sony lenses aren't fast enough and fly by wire focus thing.

I've kept my Nikon glass in hopes Nikon will compete in the video area. in the back of my mind, I'm planning on switching back when they can compete.
 
The Sony is a very good camera, no doubt about that. However, if stills are your priority the Nikon D810 is king. I've used my DLSR as a second camera on my video shoots for the past five years and the video quality from the D810 is outstanding.
 
DLD said:
And that day may come sooner than you think.
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Imo it came roughly one year ago.

Between the D750, NX1, A7sii and 5Dmkiii there is no clear winner imo.
It depends on needs. For me personaly the D750 is number one followed by the NX1, 5D and lastly A7sii.

Its like cameras have reached the same state as smartphones and computers. Nothing revolutionary. Just small uppgrades of a spec here and there. And it all comes down to taste.
 
Samuel H said:
^ Oh, I'm being teased, how nice :)
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I think you and I have the same nameless source (Nikon).

Lobbamobba said:
Imo it came roughly one year ago.

Between the D750, NX1, A7sii and 5Dmkiii there is no clear winner imo.

It depends on needs. For me personaly the D750 is number one followed by the NX1, 5D and lastly A7sii.

Its like cameras have reached the same state as smartphones and computers. Nothing revolutionary. Just small uppgrades of a spec here and there. And it all comes down to taste.
Click to expand...
The technology in general has these leaps and spurts and then, if not troughs, then valleys. I saw some computer related headline today that blamed Intel for dropping the ball on Moore's Law for the last few years. Of course, the computational power of a modern $500 PC is already superfluous for a casual user and pro IT systems run their CPU's in parallel anyway. Meanwhile, the manufacturers have changed their direction from sheer processing power to prioritize size and energy efficiency for the smartphone/portable PC market.

As to come to the cameras, the photography side has seen a gradual improvement in resolution with each cycle, while fitting in the video features judiciously on each level. The resolution wars have not played out yet - to wit Canon 120 MPX prototype. On the video side, it seems like the wait has been less for the new sensors than for the prices of the media (CFast 2.0, QXD) to come down in order to be able to offer higher recording bit rates. I mentioned in another thread how the price of the 4K external recorders came down from $4,000 for AJA Ki Pro Quad to $1,200 (Video Devices E5H) over the last two years. And, if projecting a potential purchase a couple of years into the future makes sense to a buyer, then understanding the prevailing trends comes in quite handy.

BTW, GX8 is very underrated. Currently, it's available for $1,000 and is has a high enough resolution sensor (20 MPX) and the internal 4K. If one is looking for a dual purpose camera on a limited budget ...
 
Lobbamobba said:
Imo it came roughly one year ago.

Between the D750, NX1, A7sii and 5Dmkiii there is no clear winner imo.
It depends on needs. For me personaly the D750 is number one followed by the NX1, 5D and lastly A7sii.

Its like cameras have reached the same state as smartphones and computers. Nothing revolutionary. Just small uppgrades of a spec here and there. And it all comes down to taste.
Click to expand...

If we're talking video, here's what I've noticed so far.
A7SII is better than the D750 at the following:
Screen quality and the ability to focus from it (not using peaking)
video quality (looks more natural/filmic but also harder to grade)
slightly better mic pre-amp (only talked about, not experienced)
low light sharpness/noise.
image stabilization! nice to have my 28 and 50mm prime stabilized. this is huge for me. I won't have to yell "WAARRRP!" (warp stabilizer for Premiere CC) each time i look at shot that's moving a little too much for my liking
customization of buttons. who cares about crappy menu. I just assigned stabilzation, WB, Zoom, picture profile, mic vol. I find it quicker to access the info I need than Nikon.

D750 is better at:
default FLAT profiles which is easier to grade
ergonomics (a7s is horrible , cramped hands when doing handheld, and I have small hands)
 
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